Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/11/03

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Spotting: Aaaargh! Can anyone help?
From: thomas boehm <toboehm@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 3 Nov 1999 01:44:10 -0800 (PST)

hi gareth,

it sounds like you have allready some experience in spotting; i try to
share my experiences.
so maybe, this special paper in combination with any hardener in the
fixing-bath (rapid fixer?) could be the problem - the ink often cannot
soak into the hardened emulsion of photographic papers/films.
in my experience, a VERY VERY little ammount of dish-cleaning-soap
(sunlight, palmolive etc.) in the water can sometimes help, that the paper
"accepts" the retouching ink better (you are using albumen-glaze-colours,
right?).
when i retouch, i always prepare the tip of the brush by liking it - to
make the tip very fine - then dip it in the ink. i think, that also the
fluid of saliva has some positive effects for the ink soaking into the
emulsion. and it does the best job to make the brush-tip very fine.
my tools for spotting/retouching: a very good brush, albumin-colours, a
handkerchief (or other absorbing stuff, also a cardboard), a piece of
photographic paper, and a glasplate, on which i mix the colours in
different tones with water (the dried ink on the glas-plate can be used
for three or four times for later retouchings).
after i mixed the tones with the brush, i drag it over the absorbing paper
and then try the effect of colour-intensity on a piece of photographic
paper - the tip of the brush must be almost "dry". if its too dry, i often
lick it again instead of (or before again) tipping it in the mixed inks.
the intensity of colour/tone should always be lighter than the retouched
area - the right tone should come after spotting two, three or four times
(if you are experienced with that, no one will see, that the print is
spotted). very light and very dark areas are most complicated to spot -
they need optimum attention.
i allways have three different brands of spoting ink (different tones,
some tend more to blue, some to green) to match the tone of the b&w-print.
for selenium-toned prints, i sometimes mix a little bit magenta (other
colour retouching inks) with the black ink.
i hope this helps a bit - excuse my bad english.

regards, thomas
 


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